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Archive of entries posted on October 2008

a gesture

caught in the stress of everyday life we all forget that nice gestures are possible, achievable and simply easy to be conducted. it’s the 31st of october, yes it’s halloween. probably the most expected day of the year, after christmas, by every child that gets the chance to go trick-or-treat. it’s a simple idea, kids get dressed and get ‘free’ candy. then again, it’s also the one night of the year when the ‘adults’ get to put on their most revealing clothes, or bare-all depending on the circles you roll in, and leave ‘shame’ at home. but that’s another story for another time.

a bag full of chocolates, candy, and any other sweets that only a child could dare eat. it’s the reward for the hard work going into selecting the appropriate costume, walking around and knocking on any door that has a light on. should be a great night. well, not so for some children. yet, there are some which take it up to themselves to go trick-or-treat and then donate the candy to the children that can’t make it out on this special night. sick children that must stay indoors or in the hospital, they’re a bit less fortunate during this day of the year. thus, it’s up to these special people to do something special for them. so a big thank you to the ones that will endure the rain and cold tonight and go trick-or-treat only to donate the rewards to the children that are stuck indoors. it’s amazing to see that there are some out there with a big enough heart to take time and give something back. it’s a simple gesture, that no doubt will mean the world to the children…so once again, thank you and well done. i hope that we all learn from this and try to give something back, make a little simple gesture, because in the end it will mean the world to someone.

after 11

on this day, 26th of october, 11 years ago i stepped off the plane and onto canadian soil for the first time. received by the ever-joyful rain, welcome to vancouver. at 14 the city was mesmerizing, lights everywhere, ‘big’ streets, buildings, mountains …. keep in mind prior to getting on the transatlantic plane the biggest cities i’ve seen were: constanta, cluj and oradea. i still remember wondering if i’ll ever get used to it.

prior to this, i recall leaving romania. driven to the budapest airport, only to get there about 10 hours prior to our departure time. plenty of time to reflect on what was left behind, flood some toilets and figure out how to dry your hands without paper. in my defense, i have never seen an electric hand-drier with or without a sensor. then followed amsterdam, where as many already know the wait for the klm connecting flight to vancouver is 7 hours. overall i think we spent more time waiting for take-off than being on board the plane. however, when you’re leaving for a ‘better’ place…the wait is bearable. 11 years later, i’d say the it was worth the wait…

sfu

some pictures from the place where i spent 6 years of my life, simon fraser university. enjoy!